Cell case machine



Aug. 9, 1949. v D, R VA|| 2,478,794

CELL CASE MACHINE Filed July, 16, 1945 I l 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5...?, @,Mmlmfw ATTORNEY Aug. 9, 1949. D. R. vAu. 2,478,794

y CELL CASE MACHINE Filed July 16,' 1945 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

\NVENTOR l-TORNEY Patented ug. 9, 14

CEIiL CASE MACHINE Daniel R. Vail, Brookline, Mass., assignor Vto Henry C. Tuttle, Boston, Mass., as` trustee Application July 16, 1945, Serial No. 605,409

f Y 9 Claims. Y l

This invention relates to c ell case machines and the object is to provide an improved machine for assembling in lattice form slotted partition strips to form an inset for a container which will divide it into compartments for reception of individual bottles, y etc. Such inserts or cells characteristically consist of a number of parallel strips slotted part-way through from one edge which are interlocked in a halving joint with relatively perpendicular strips slotted from the opposite edge. It will be convenient to term one set nf strips longitudinals and the others transversals, although the distinction is arbitrary. While not limited thereto, my machine is particularly adapted to handle preformed partition strips cut from relatively rigid and thick material, such as faced corrugated board. The assembly ofV such strips has hitherto remained a hand operation.

It has been proposed to assemble successive transversal strips with successive sets of aligned slots in a rank of longitudinal strips by driving the former one by one by means of a reciprocating ram or plunger into'interlocking relation with the latter. In myV invention I utilize such a ram having operating means effective to cause it to move through a single inserting stroke and a retreating stroke and govern such means through the slots themselves of the longitudinals so that the plunger is actuated when and only when the slots are in proper position to receive the transversal. This may be effected by directing a flow of energy, in theY example about to be specically described luminous energy, transversely to the longitudinals in the zone of the slots, which ow of'energy will be-interrupted by the portions of the strips between the slots but' on transit of a slot will bereleased for passage therethrough to initiate an inserting operation.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein an illustrative embodiment thereof is shown and wherein- Fig. 1 is an isometric View of the machine as y Referring to the drawings, the machine there shown comprises a table I0 on which are arranged pairs of spaced plates I2 forming guideways for slidably receiving longitudinal strips, and holding them vertical with the slots upward and spaced in a rank. I use the word rank here as in the expression rank and le to denote a number of strips side by side and properly spaced in accordance with the spacing which they will have in the finished article. Atv the output end of the guideways formed by the plates I2 there is provided a'ram or plunger I4 reciprocating on vertical guides I6 carried by frame I8, the ram being arranged at the delivery end of a holder for a stack of' transversals, the holder having an inclined bottom 20 on which the transversals rest at right angles to the guideways I2 and with their slots down. As best seen in Fig. 4, when the ram I4 is raised, the foremost element of the stack moves forward by gravity past the edge of the bottom 2Il against stop strips 22 and is held suspended by the pressure of the stack under the ram to be driven downwardly thereby when it descends, sliding along the forwardly presented sides of thestrips 22.

The ram is herein shown as operated by a motor solenoid 24 suspended on a frame 26, the core of the solenoid being connected by a link 28 to a lever 30 pivoted on a bracket 32 projecting from a cross-member of the frame 26. The other end of the lever is connecteduby link 34 to arm 36 projecting upwardly from the ram I4 and herein shown as guided at its upper end in the tubular guide 38. It will be apparent, particularly from Fig. 2, that when lthe core of the solenoid is drawn .upwardly -on energization of the same, it will Vdepress the ram I4 whichV is returned by the spring40 connected to lever 3i).

To control therram a light source 421s provided at one side of the table adjacent the path of the ram and at an elevation corresponding to the `path of the slots in the longitudinals. Light therefrom is directed across the table toward va photo-electric cell 44 which, when the light falls thereon, energizes a`switch mechanism 46 of well known type, closing it against the action of a spring and energizing the solenoid. This may be effected through a relay mechanism 48 illustrated in the Wiring diagram (Fig. 6) but which I do not here describe in detail las it may be of any desired character and its specific` nature constitutes no part of the present invention.

Let us suppose'that a rank of longitudinals is advanced in proper alignmentto thearm. The

as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a belt 5U driven.

through pulley 5|, the upper run of th'eb'elt being in the plane of the top-of'table l0. The-belt has pusher bars 52 thereon at? intervals. greaterl than the length of the longitudinal strips which are to be handled. The guidew'ays'fornied by the plates I2 extendover the belt and are'suitably cut away, as best seen in Fig. 2, to pass the pusher bars.

The longitudinal strips may bei'ed into the guideways from above: atthe' intake endI of the machine tofeome'to reston-the-surface of the belt till in the path ofy thev pusher bars 52. To simpliiy the disclosureI have Vshown no mechanical meansfor feeding long itudinals and we may assume that they are placed. inY position by hand.

The operationpftheeieedmay be best under stoodfroinfFig. 3i' At the ,left we see a strip a engaged byI a pusher bar. The rear edges of this and similar stripsin the parallelguideways will be engaged by. `the pusherbar andaligned thereby. As the beltmoves, the aligned strips will be advancedto the position ofthe strip b with their centers of gravityl beyond the edge of the table lil to the rightp'f'the belt and? will push before them in1the-guideways any preceding strips'c, the ends of those strips whichV are on the table to the right of the' belt emitting iii the operation of the machine'. Wlena strip' hasfreached the .f1

position shown at b'; the' pushe'rbar'shown at the right in FL Sw'illleavethesame a'nd the strips b and c will stoprnbving', but thisis not material becausethe strips themselves control theV inserting mechanism.v Th'epilshei'at the" left will now move into position tden'gfagea set of strips in position a', alignv them' andiadvance themj onto the table, pushing' before them" the' precedingV strips which are in polstionslzjandfc'iby abutting contactY of the 'endsof the strips;

As is plain` from" Fig-gV the' distance* between the last-slot iny onefstiip, afs-C5; and' theflrst slot inl the following'` strip?- as b; .isatwi'ce theV distance between the" slots in' ani individual strip. Thus the inserting opeiations do not recur regularly when weconsiden a series-ot consecutive longitudinals. However,-.1iglit doesnotpass when the abutting ends of.` the'` stripsipass the ram. The latter is therefore not operated but isactuated solely whenthe slots are. properly'positioned and independently of their relative poistions or of the speed of movement ofthe strips.-

The assembledW cell casesare, pushed out from the assemblingzone totheright of the table, viewing Fig. 2,. and taken away in any desired manner. l

I-IereintheV light source 42" andY the cell 44 are at opposite sides f tl'ientirerank of longitudinals and the' ray passes from one' to another through the aligned' slots` of the entire rank. Thus if one ,of the lngitudinals' is; misformed and has no'slot' or a: misplaced slot, the'inserting mechanism will` not be: operated' and the'machine will not' jam;l The' longitudinale* in question` will pass beyondA the" in"s'ec'in'g''i point'efndtheresulta'nt 4 ydefective cell .case will be exposed for inspection and rejection.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other speciiic forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; as is'in factclear' in several matters from the: description itself.; Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles of the invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim':

1. Apparatus-'for assembling slotted partition `strips comprising means for advancing a rank of longitudinal stripspast an assembly point, means for inserting a transverse strip in the aligned slots of the rank -of longitudinals presented at said-point, a device tendingto cause a ow of energy across the. path offfthe slottedportlon of said longitudinals which is. interrupted by the portions thereof between the`slots,and means responsive to said flow' of'energy'when.released'by transit'of a slot past-vsaid'devicefor causing an operation of'said insertingnieans.

2. Apparatus for' assembling slotted partition strips comprising means for advancing". a, rank of longitudinal strips' past an assembly point, means for inserting. a; transverse'- strip in the aligned slotsr of the'rank-'oflongitudlnals presentedat saidrp'cin't;` a devicetndirect a ray of light across the' path'of the slotted; portions of said longitudinale.;l which' ray" is' interrupted by the portio'ns'between' the' slots; and' photo-electric means responsive to thefi'ncidence ofsaid ray when released'bytranslt of aslot past said device forY causingY an operation" of: saidl inserting means.

3. Apparatus for' assembling" slotted partition strips comprisingmeansA for' advancing a rank oi longitudinal strips past'an' assembly point', means for inserting a transverse strip inthe aligned slots of the' rank/ of` longltudinals presented at said point and means" governed by' the` arrival of such' slots adjacent said" point' for' causing an operation'ofsaid'inserting'meansi 4. ApparatusV for assembling slotted` partition strips comprising means for supporting' longitudinal strips on edge;I meansn fb'rrsupporting a group of cross-strips, meanslfoi" effecting-a relative movemento the" longitudinal strips andthe group ofY ero'ssestrps' in a=direction lengthwise of said longitudinalstrips;l amotiir, means actuated therebyior assembling tliecrbs's strips'singly-and in succession with the" longitudinal strips during said movement, and means responsive to the transit past't'he saiiieo'f slotsfn:theloiigitudinai strips for causing the' saitlfimotor' tooperate'.

5; ApparatusV fo'r' assembling slotted: partition strips Comprising'rnersfoliadvahcing' a ranlc of longitudinal strips' an* assembly' point, means for inserting atran's'verse; st'ri'p' in the .aligned slots of the rank of longitudinale presentedats'aidE point, aiid means presented to the side of a longitudinal!alng'theslbttedzone thereof and operated by tlie transit-fasi'ot-past the same for causing an operatibn' of said inserting means. A l

6. Apparatusfor assembling partition strips-in.. cluding longitudinal strips and cross-strips; said longitudinall stripshaving slolfs at lin'teiivals" along their lengthf'o'rf receiving"Y thecrs`sstrips`, a' mo'- tor, means operatdtlereby'fr assembling the cross-strips singly andi-'n suenesion W-ltl'i the longitudinal strips, a device positioned and arranged to be masked by said longitudinal strips and unmasked intermittently by the slots in the strips during the assembling operation, and control means operated by the unmasking of said device for effecting intermittent, periodic operation of the motor.

7. Apparatus for assembling slotted partition strips comprising means for advancing a rank of longitudinal strips past an assembly point, an inserting device, means to supply successive transverse strips to the device between operations thereof, means for actuating said device through an inserting stroke and a retreating stroke, and means presented to a longitudinal along the slotted zone thereof and operated by the transit of a slot past the same to initiate an operation of said inserting means.

8. Apparatus for assembling slotted partitions comprising means for advancing successive ranks of longitudinal strips as an uninterrupted line past an assembly point, an inserting device, means to supply successive transverse strips to the device, means for effecting single actuations of said device, and means responsive to the transit 6 past the same of a slot of a longitudinal to initiate an operation of said inserting means.

9. Apparatus for assembling slotted partition strips comprising a support over which a rank of longitudinal strips may move past an assembling point, feeding means, to which successive ranks may be supplied, for advancing the ranks on to the support for continued movement thereover by the thrust of a succeeding rank, an inserting device, means to supply successive transverse strips to said device, and means for effecting an actuation of said device on the arrival of a slot adjacent the assembling point to cause insertion of a transverse strip therein.

DANIEL R. VAIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the i'ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,031,503 Rainey Feb. 18, 1936 2,353,842 McLaughlin et al. July 18, 1944 

